Died: 18 June 1873 in Peoa, Summit, Utah

Buried: June 1873 in Peoa Cemetery, Peoa, Summit, Utah

Elsa was born at the close of the eighteenth century. In Sweden there were a few large landowners that enslaved the working people, who were bonded to the estates. The tenants were required to work on what they called "Bondgaardes". Then the landowners allotted a few sterile, rocky acres and a hut. This was the type of system that Elsa was born into. As a small child she would have looked after the family livestock which consisted of a cow or two, and ducks or chickens. The people worked very hard to make a living. She probably had worked as a maidservant at the "Gaardes" for several years. Elsa was thirty years old when she married Jons Bengtsson. He worked at the Fultofta Bondgaarde where one of his duties was a wine taster. They became the parents of seven children but only three daughters, Sisa, Bengta, and Anna, grew to adulthood, one died before his 4th birthday and the others three died as infants. In the early 1850's, the Bengtsson family came in contact with the missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Elsa's oldest daughter, Sisa and her husband, Ola Pearson, were the first to join and then Elsa and Jons and two other daughters Bengta and Anna followed. They all desired to immigrate to America and travel to the Great Salt Lake Valley to gather with the other members of their newly found church. It was very difficult to earn money to be able to go. Jons was having problems living the Word of Wisdom because of his job as a wine taster. This caused him eventually to lose his membership in the Church and also the opportunity to emigrate with the other members to Zion. He died in 1858, then Elsa and her daughter, Bengta immigrated to Utah. They sailed on the ship "William Tapscott" which sailed from Liverpool, England on Apr. 11, 1859. It appears that they were probably in the George Rowley Handcart Company. Elsa was determined to not be a burden on anyone. She was 69 years of age as she walked across the plains. After she fell and was injured she had to ride in one of the wagons that accompanied the handcarts. She did not like this and as they made their approach into the valley she insisted that she be allowed to walk into the Salt Lake Valley. While crossing the plains Bengta (or Betsy as she was called) met and married Peter Salisbury. They made their home in South Cottonwood and Elsa lived with them. Some three years later, Anna and a granddaughter of Elsa also arrived in South Cottonwood. Then in 1864 her oldest daughter, Sisa, and her family all arrived. What joy this gave to Elsa to have all her daughters close to her again. After spending some time in the South Cottonwood, Fort Union area they moved to Peoa. Eventually Elsa, Bengta and her family and then Anna and her family also settled there. On June 18th of 1873 at the age of 83 years, Elsa returned from taking some calves to graze on the hillside above Sisa's home, where she was staying, upon arriving back home she sat on a large trunk and quietly passed away. She was buried in the Peoa Cemetery.